Can I put together a motorcycle rig, and take my motorcycle photography to the next level showing off my motorcycle in action?
For the past month I've been reading a lot about automotive rigs and the stunning action shots and sense of motion that can be achieved using a rig. I've spent hours on the internet reading about car photos that were taken with a rig.
Rig shots basically consist of a large pole, or "boom", fixed to a car. The end of the boom holds a camera. That way, images can be taken while the vehicle is in motion.
One thing I don't see much is motorcycles using a rig, only found a handful number of images on the internet. I even tried to contact some of them and asked basic questions about their rig, unfortunately no one has replied. It appears that rig shots is one of the biggest secrets of automotive photography.
If you are not familiar with this photography technique, Spencer Seastrom, James Evins and the people at ImPhotoWorks explain:
"Car camera rigs are created for the purpose of photographing moving cars. Oftentimes, the exposure will last several seconds so that the background is blurred while the car is nice and sharp. The trick is creating a rig that’s stable enough to hold that camera still for those few precious seconds while the car is moving.
Using a camera rig give the photographer complete creative control over the shot. Much more than a rolling shot from another moving vehicle for example. The photographer can decide exactly where to shoot, and setup to get the angles he/she wants. You can go high and you can go low. Front, side, back, in close or out far. The photographer control the lighting and shoot easily, slowly and carefully in otherwise restrictive environment, shooting a number of different shots in a relatively short space of time. The goal of the rig shot is to convey motion."
I personally like the fact that it is so much safer using a rig than hanging out of a moving vehicle to get a rolling shot. The easiest part of some of these shots is that sometimes the car doesn’t even have to be on to take the photo, you simply put the car in neutral and has a friend push the car while you snap away. The trick will be finding a spot that will be visually appealing when blurred.
This week I bought a set of RigPro automotive photography boom rigs on Ebay, a Manfrotto Magic Arm, and a Manfrotto Super Clamp.
I think is time to take my motorcycle photography to the next level. I will keep you posted on the progress.
